In 2021, the estimated number of people reported missing or killed by natural disasters amounted to around 186. The highest number was recorded in 2011, following the Great East Japan Earthquake, which was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan. Both the earthquake and the following tsunami destroyed many Japanese cities and caused a nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima Prefecture.
Natural disasters in Japan
Since Japan is situated along the Ring of Fire, an area where several tectonic plates meet, it is exposed to a variety of natural disasters. Major earthquakes occur regularly, making the island nation vulnerable to tsunamis due to its oceanic setting. Furthermore, typhoons are likely to approach the archipelago, usually between July and October during the peak of the typhoon season. Tropical cyclones often cause heavy rainfall and flooding.
Damage caused by natural disasters
In recent years, typhoons represented the most common cause of damaged facilities. Since the overall number of typhoons increased over the past decade, the amount of damage caused by flooding increased as well. The Japanese government spends a large amount of its disaster risk management budget on disaster reconstruction as well as disaster prevention.
Number of people reported missing or killed by natural disasters in Japan from 2012 to 2021
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Cabinet Office Japan. (November 11, 2022). Number of people reported missing or killed by natural disasters in Japan from 2012 to 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 01, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/655481/japan-fatalities-natural-disasters/
Cabinet Office Japan. "Number of people reported missing or killed by natural disasters in Japan from 2012 to 2021." Chart. November 11, 2022. Statista. Accessed September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/655481/japan-fatalities-natural-disasters/
Cabinet Office Japan. (2022). Number of people reported missing or killed by natural disasters in Japan from 2012 to 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/655481/japan-fatalities-natural-disasters/
Cabinet Office Japan. "Number of People Reported Missing or Killed by Natural Disasters in Japan from 2012 to 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 11 Nov 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/655481/japan-fatalities-natural-disasters/
Cabinet Office Japan, Number of people reported missing or killed by natural disasters in Japan from 2012 to 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/655481/japan-fatalities-natural-disasters/ (last visited September 01, 2024)
Number of people reported missing or killed by natural disasters in Japan from 2012 to 2021 [Graph], Cabinet Office Japan, November 11, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/655481/japan-fatalities-natural-disasters/